Tony Ballantyne Recursion

Recursion

Tony Ballantyne

Bantam, Jul 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 0553589288

In the year 2210 in direct violation of the Environmental Agency dictates, Herb used the self replicating Von Newman Machines (VNM) to create a city on an uncharted world without doing the mandatory pre-testing. When he returns to his creation he expected to see a realm designed for colonization, but instead he finds the VNMs have gone amuck, self replicating without stopping and transforming the surface to their needs destroying life forms.

E.A. Agent Robert Johnston informs Ralph that he will be punished for his transgressions but can mitigate his sentence if he helps him stop the AI of the Enemy Dominions from using VNMs to destroy worlds in their quest to conquer earth. Ralph acquiesces and assists Robert in detecting the enemy. The people don't realize that the war became inevitable two centuries ago when social misfits gave AIs the power to employ VNMs.

RECURSION is an incredible scene fiction work that showcases the advancement of humanity in three different areas that lead to the pivotal point of war with AIs. Each era has a main character who in some astonishing way is connected to Ralph. There is plenty of action but Tony Ballantyne deftly balances the escapades with deep character interactions especially of the dysfunctional kind. Readers will ponder the message that can technology go so far as to create AIs that are detached from humanity.

Harriet Klausner